A Return to Blogging Featuring My Favorite Lazy Day Makeup Products

Can you believe it, I am actually back to the world of blogging! The extreme blogging hiatus was caused by a few things. First of all, I just couldn't keep up to posting as much as I would have liked so I just stopped all together. Secondly, there was a huge period of time where I really was just a little jaded by the beauty industry as a whole and wanted to take a step back. And then of course, we had a big move and our engagement which I could not be more thrilled about. Planning a wedding is stressful enough but I thought I might as well add blogging to that mix ;)

As I sat down to my vanity this morning to do what I like to call "the lazy day makeup" I thought some of you may be interested in seeing what products I use on days when I don't really have anywhere to go but I want to feel human. I happened to be working today (for those of you who don't know, I work from home) but I will be meeting a friend in a little while for my lunch break to take a little hike on some trails near my house. I don't need my makeup to last 12 hours, just a little something on my face to even out my complexion and make me feel halfway presentable. Below is a list of the products!

Complexion:
-The IT Cosmetics CC Cream in fair is my go to on days where I may need some sun protection or I just don't want to wear a heavy foundation. It has great coverage plus a physical sunscreen of 50SPF! Wearing this CC cream also allows me to skip moisturizer for the day which saves a little time too!

-Maybelline makes some of the best drugstore concealers on the market. I am a HUGE fan of their Age Rewind Concealer collection and slap the color fair on under my eyes all the time. It is a no brainer product for me that is opaque, blends well, and doesn't make my under eyes look like the Sahara desert.

-The Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder is also one of my staple under eye products. I take a sponge and just lightly give a good coat of powder over the concealer to really help it set and continue to brighten up under my eyes a little.

-My girlfriend Trisha over at aglitterylife.com (she also has an awesome youtube channel under the AGlitteryLife name), RAVED about the RCMA No Color Powder until I couldn't take it anymore and had to try it. You get a huge container for around $10 and it really is an amazing setting powder. I love it, and have used it everyday for about a month now.

-On days where I want just a tad bit more coverage I will also use the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Light over the RCMA powder but lately my skin has been cooperating so I haven't needed that extra boost.

Color Products:
-For you fair girls that love a good contour powder you MUST check out the Pumpkin & Poppy Oak Bark powder that can be found on etsy. It is the perfect cool toned powder that can be subtly applied for lazy days or really built up for a strong contour on days where you want that chiseled look. Even round faces like mine can be perfected with a little of this magical powder.

-I can sometimes skip the bronzer on lazy days but on days where I do want a little color I typically reach for the Hourglass Luminous Light Bronzer. This stuff is potent on fair skin so be careful when you first dip your brush in it! It is not included in the picture because I skipped it today.

-It is no secret that I am a total blush junkie. It is probably my favorite makeup product ever and I tend to go a little overboard most days. Thanks to a sweet friend that gifted the Catrice Illuminating Blush in "I Am Nuts About You" I can go blush crazy even on lazy days without looking like a clown. If you haven't tried this blush out I highly suggest it and for the $5.99 you just can't beat it!

I skip highlighter on my lazy days but you could certainly add it in if you wanted to!

Eyes:
-The Giorgio Armani Eye Tints stole my heart last year and I still haven't been able to put them down. They are pricey but if you can manage to grab them at the Sephora 20% off sale it takes a little of the sting out of it. My go to shade is Cold Copper but Rose Ashes is really beautiful too! Just an easy all over wash of color on the lid that is blendable and almost makes your lids appear smoother. Who doesn't want that?!

-Lorac recently launched a new limited edition palette at Ulta called the Nude Necessities palette. It is a fair/light girls dream for an everyday neutral eye and a palette that I just keep reaching for. It has 6 matte shadows and 6 shimmer colors and truly everything you need for an everyday eye is included.

-In some previous blog posts you can read about my love for the IT Cosmetics YBBB Skinny pencil and the Tightline mascara. Both of which are absolute staples in my lazy day (actually my ANY day) makeup routine.

Writing all of those things out makes me realize how many items that actually is but I can do a complete face with all of those products in about 5 minutes.

What are you favorite lazy day makeup products? Do you have any blog posts that you would like to see in the future or any products that you would like me to review? Leave a comment letting me know, I look forward to hearing from you!

June Empties!

I have been trying REALLY hard to use up as many things that I currently have as possible. Here are a few things that I have emptied this month along with whether or not I would repurchase it.

1. Suave Moroccan Oil Shampoo
Yes, if I was in the market for a cheap hydrating shampoo I would certainly repurchase it. I have a whole shelf of shampoo and conditioner that I have accumulated through couponing so for now I will be sticking with using those other items up first.

2. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioning Treatment
I have repurchased this over and over again! I have been using this product off and on for probably almost 10 years and I will continue to use it. It is easy to use, smells great and doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down! I highly recommend this one!!

3. IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes mascara
I have already repurchased this because I knew I didn't want to be without a backup of this mascara. It is awesome! The formula itself is pretty wet so if you like a drier mascara this one may not be for you but within a week or 2 it does thicken up a little and allows you to control it a little more during application. The way the separates, lengthens, and adds volume certainly makes me add this mascara into my top 5 of all time. (Let me know if you want to see a post on what my all time top 5 are!)

4. Lea Journo conditioner
This conditioner smells heavenly! On top of that is does make my hair feel pretty soft but it is priced a little too high for my liking. I received this in a swap with a friend so I never bought the original pouch. (yes I said pouch! It doesn't come in a bottle like traditional conditioner which I think it is a fault since it is kind of a pain to keep it standing up on the rack I have in my shower) I would certainly like to use this product again but I probably won't purchase it since it is pretty pricey. There are lots of good drugstore and lower end conditioners that work just as well in my opinion.

5. Dove VisibleCare Body Wash
I use this product at night before I go to bed and I love crawling into my bed having my skin feel hydrated, soft and smelling nice a fresh. I have already repurchased another bottle of this (and got a really deal on it at CVS with coupons!! SCORE!) I would certainly recommend checking this body was h out if you love the smell of original Dove but don't want to use a bar of soap, this is an awesome alternative.

That wraps up my empties for this month. What have you been able to empty out this month?

August favorites!

I don't know about you all but holy cow August just seemed to fly by! It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the 4th of July. It is time though to show you all of the things I LOVED this month, some of the things even surprised me!

1. Suave keratin heat defense leave in conditioner (I'm actually loving all of the items in the keratin line but its been along time since I've found a leave in that I really love)
2. Organix Moroccan Argan oil body lotion- I got this on a buy one get one free sale at Walgreens and had 2 $2 off coupons so I almost paid nothing for it and it has been amazing! I will certainly repurchase this when I am out. It is hydrating but not so thick where you feel like you stick to everything.
3. Rusk thermal shine spray- I have been just scrunching my hair alot this month because it is so hot out I hate to turn the blow dryer on and this shine spray has really helped my hair even with products in it look shiny and healthy. LOVE
4. Boscia makeup breakup cool cleansing oil- I cannot say enough good things about this product. It is SO easy to use, glides on so smooth and rinses off really easily. Best of all it hasn't made my oily skin break out (always a huge plus for me!)
5. I hate mentioning limited edition products but these you might still able to find at your local MAC counter or online so I certainly wanted to let you know about them. the Hidden Treasure and Supercontinental blushes from the latest MAC collection are awesome. They are no super frosty or dry like some other MAC blushes and just look gorgeous when applied. RUN out and get these if you can still find them- they have become my favorite MAC blushes!
6. Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation- I forgot how good this foundation really is for oily skin. I applied this at noon drove over to Tampa for a rally and at 3 am before we decided to get in the hot tub my face still looked flawless, this paired with my next favorite is a match made in an oily skinned girls heaven!
7. It Cosmetics celebration powder foundation- This is what every powder foundation loose or pressed should be! Yup I actually just said that :) It gives the perfect amount of coverage without having a bit of shimmer or sheen to it. So great in the summer for oily skinned girls. I will certainly still use the Laura Mercier loose minerals in the winter but I adore this for not having the sheen that the LM minerals have when its 100 degrees outside and like 60% humidity!
8. Garnier Dark circle correcting tinted rollerball- Great product to just throw on at night or when you want to run up to the store but don't want "real" makeup on. Its super cheap too!
9. Lipgloss! Summer is all about lipgloss for me. I don't want to mess with lipstick and the last thing I want to have to worry about it a lipstick melting in my car or purse. My staples this month have been Mally's lipgloss in Mallys baby and NYX in sugar pie. 2 gorgeous colors!
Well that's it! There are a few products that I got last weekend that I'm loving but I didn't want to include them in this month favorites since I've only had them a few days. I'm sure they will be making an appearance next month.